Two Indian journalists expelled from Pakistan, India to take up matter

Islamabad/New Delhi: The two Indian journalists posted to Pakistan have been virtually expelled by the Pakistan government without assigning any reasons. Following this move by Islamabad, the Indian government has said that it intends to take up the matter with Pakistan.

Press Trust of India's Snehesh Alex Philip and The Hindu's Meena Menon received letters late last night from the Pakistan government informing them that their visas are not being extended although both have been in Islamabad only for about nine months.

The visas of the two Indian journalists, who were in Pakistan since August 2013, expired in March.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said it has not been informed about the development either by the Pakistan government in Islamabad or by its High Commission in New Delhi.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson also said that no reason has been given by Pakistan for asking the two journalists to leave the country by May 20.

Official sources in Delhi said this is perhaps for the first time that there will be no media presence from India and Pakistan in each other's country following the move by Islamabad.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) Indian chapter urged Pakistan not to send back the two Indian journalists and renew their expired visas.

"Since expiry of their visas, both Menon and Philip have been trying hard to get them renewed. The surprising part is that they were only telephonically informed and given a week's time since last Thursday to leave the country. So far, there has been no official written communication. There has been no provocation on their part," PIPFPD office-bearers Asha Hans and Jatin Desai said in a joint appeal on Tuesday.

The Press Club of India and Press Club of Mumbai have also issued similar appeals and condemned the reported ‘arbitrary moves’ to expel the two senior Indian journalists from Pakistan.